Friday, March 18, 2011

Introducing the VMware vSphere Client for the iPad!

What does the vSphere Client for iPad do?
The vSphere Client for the iPad is designed to provide a clean and simple interface to many common tasks performed by vSphere Administrators. It isn't designed to be a fully functional replacement to the Windows client, but functions in the iPad version include:

View performance metrics of the hosts and virtual machines

Manage virtual machines (start, stop, suspend)

View and restore virtual machine snapshots

Place vSphere hosts into maintenance mode and reboot hosts

Test connectivity to hosts and virtual machines using built-in ping and traceroute tools

Here are a few screenshots (Click on the image for a larger version):

How does this magic work?

The iPad Client connects to a proxy virtual machine, the vCMA (vCenter Mobile Access). If you aren't familiar with the vCMA it works with many SmartPhones as well as the iPad and in the newest version SSL is now enabled by default! Here is a graphic to show the architecture:

How do you install the vSphere for iPad Client?

Installation is a two step process. It is very straightforward and VMware has actually created two videos to explain each step. Here are both of the videos:

What if I have questions or need support for the iPad vSphere Client?

Head on over to the new VMware Community created just for the product. It was created as-is with the support given by the community but I'm sure there will be a lot of activity and discussions in the near future. Have fun with the new toy!